The present invention relates to Strapdown Navigation Technology. It finds particular application in conjunction with micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) gyroscopes used as angular rate sensors in Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) and strapdown Inertial Navigation System (INS) for aircraft, missiles, land and underwater vehicles navigation, guidance and control and will be described with particular reference thereto. It will be appreciated, however, that the invention is also amenable to other applications.
The capabilities of the current photolithography processes and microfabrications techniques are inadequate when compared with the requirements for production of high performance MEMS inertial sensors. The resulting inherent imperfections in manufacturing of MEMS gyro sense elements mechanical structure significantly limit the performance, and robustness of MEMS gyroscopes. Because reliable MEMS gyroscopes require tight tolerances (e.g., picometer-scale), MEMS gyroscopes have proven challenging to fabricate and commercialize for high-performance.
The present invention provides a new and improved apparatus and method which addresses the above-referenced problems.